Our goal: For the dozen dishes under $15, we avoided small
plates, which have become increasingly common on local menus, and sought
out substantial servings, some big enough to split. We included classics
on the list, jambalaya and smoked chicken, for instance, but also
entrees that illustrate how sophisticated food doesn’t have to be
prohibitively priced.

Take heed if a waitress at an Ethiopian restaurant warns you that a dish is spicy. She’s not kidding. Berbere, a potent hot chili spice blend, is the backbone of many Ethiopian stews, and it can pack a wallop. If you’re not familiar with this country’s aggressive seasoning, key wot is a good gateway dish. The version at Nile is a slow-simmered, rust-colored lamb stew, laced with clarified butter and berbere. It’s got heat, but it won’t have you grabbing immediately for your water glass. The red gravy soaks into strips of injera, the spongy, fermented flatbread which serves as Ethiopian flatware. You tear off a piece of bread and use it to scoop up bits of meat, vegetables and sauce. It’s a one-handed, social style of eating and a hallmark of this singular cuisine. Ethiopian meals typically center around beef, chicken, lamb or a variety of stewed vegetables, legumes and greens, fragrant with garlic, ginger, fenugreek, cardamom, cayenne and other spices. Exploring Ethiopian food in New Orleans means at trip to Magazine Street. That’s where Nile opened last year, just blocks away from Café Abyssinia, the city’s only other Ethiopian restaurant. The wats, or stews, at both are a good way to become better acquainted with this country’s intriguing cooking.